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Lumenocity broadcast first in local TV ratings

Thousands of people came together in Washington Park to experience the magic of Lumenocity. Brave Berlin, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Prestige AV choreographed an incredible show, which also featured the works of Charley Harper.

The live "Lumenocity" simulcast on WCPO-TV and WCET-TV was the most popular broadcast on local Nielsen TV ratings last Saturday. Almost 50,000 TV households tuned in.

Overall, the numbers tell the tale of success: At least 42,500 people – those who had scored tickets – flocked to Washington Park last weekend for the dress rehearsal and three performances of "Lumenocity," the orchestral and light show.

Hundreds more watched from rooftops and streets surrounding the park. Another 1,300 saw live feeds to Fountain Square and Riverbend Music Center on Sunday, the last night of the show. And online, more than 6,000 logged on to watch a livestream from as far away as Russia and Sweden.

Sydney Lehman, left, from Green Township, and Halina Stoll, from Blue Ash, both 5, enjoy bubbles together before Lumenocity at Washington Park on Saturday, August 2, 2014. (Photo: The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor)

Allison Reeno, from Erlanger, and her husband Jeffery sit on a special couch before Lumenocity at Washington Park on Saturday, August 2, 2014. Reeno was appointed the "Mayor" of tonight's Lumenocity and given a special seat. (Photo: The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor)

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It was the second year of Lumenocity, which stunned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra officials presenting the event when it drew record crowds (35,000 over two nights) to Washington Park last year. This year, with changes including free but required tickets, an expansion to three nights and a daylong Lumenocity Village of food and vendors, the response again floored the organizers when the free tickets "sold out" in 12 minutes online.

"It was extraordinary. We're still floating after the experience," said Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra president Trey Devey. "I think it was artistically, once again, at a supremely high level. The management of the event went about as smoothly as one could ever expect with the number of people we accommodated over four nights. Every square inch of the park was filled, including the fountain and the area just to the north of the dog park."

Charley Harper pieces, animated by Jason Snell, were a big hit with the crowd. (Photo: The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran)

The Presidents Room at The Phoenix served Quattro Fromaggi, Corn and Truffle Pizza and Goetta Meatball Sliders in Lumenocity Village at Washington Park on Friday, Aug. 1, 2014. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Finding a spot to drop your chairs was difficult even early in the night as families and friends filled Washington Park for the Lumenocity show on Friday, Aug. 1, 2014. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Finding a spot to drop your chairs was difficult even early in the night as families and friends filled Washington Park for the Lumenocity show on Friday, Aug. 1, 2014. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Finding a spot to drop your chairs was difficult even early in the night as families and friends filled Washington Park for the Lumenocity show on Friday, Aug. 1, 2014. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Tina Kroeger of Mt. Airy, front, and her husband Greg Kroeger claimed their spots on top of the wall at 4 p.m. Friday to watch the Lumenocity show in Washington Park. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Friday, Aug. 1, 2014 LUMENOCITY METRO : Finding a spot to drop your chairs was difficult even early in the night as families and friends flooded Washington Park for the Lumenocity show in Washington Park. The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

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Channel 48 will repeat Lumenocity later this fall, along with a 30-minute special being produced by the station, said Sue Brinson, communications manager. Last year Channel 48 premiered its Lumenocity special in November.

Lumenocity outshown the other prime-time shows in its time slot. The combined 5.5 rating for Channels 9 and 48 – which translates to 49,962 TV homes here – was more than double the No. 2 prime-time shows, "48 Hours" and "Hawaii Five-0" (2.6 rating 8-10 p.m., Channel 12).

The Cincinnati Symphony's Meghan Berneking estimated the TV audience at nearly 130,000, based on 2.6 viewers per TV home here.

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The musical collaboration between the orchestra and Brave Berlin, the designers making the visual show using video projection mapping, was near perfect. A bank of 10 high-powered projectors, mounted onto a stack of three boxcars on Race Street, beamed 400,000 lumens of light across Washington Park's lawn and onto the façade of Music Hall. The designs were choreographed to a 40-minute live performance by the Cincinnati Symphony.

See Lumenocity's surprise ending, which is also meant to be a memento of the Over-the-Rhine event. It will play at Music Hall every night until the Nov. election. Supporters hope an "icon tax" will be on the ballot to fix Music Hall & Union Terminal.

The animations were creative and whimsical – especially colorful images of birds, fish and even a Bengal tiger by late Cincinnati artist Charley Harper. Crowds of all ages were awestruck by the larger-than-life interplay of light and music that brought Music Hall to life and caused it to appear to take a deep "bow" at the end.

One of the highlights was a breathtaking collaboration with Cincinnati Ballet principal dancers Janessa Touchet and Cervilio Miguel Amador. The dancers performed live on an outside balcony to the music of Edward Elgar's lovely "Nimrod." Looming above them were larger-than-life, animated images of the dancers, performing their exact choreography in tandem.

Against such spectacular visuals, the orchestra may have taken a back seat. But the orchestral sound under Louis Langrée was powerful, and the finale of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 made a triumphant finish to the evening.

Langrée believes the live concert and light show was more successful this year simply from having had the experience last summer.

"Last year, we didn't have any idea what it would be. So it was a great surprise for all of us," he said.

Still, it was hard for the musicians to imagine the result, partly because they couldn't see what was happening above them.

"That's the downside," said concertmaster Timothy Lees. "But we could tell it was something spectacular because of the (audience) reaction."

The visual artists had help synching with the music from CSO associate conductor Robert Treviño, who followed along with a score. If Langrée sped up or slowed down, the designers could adjust the animations on their timeline.

Also, said Langrée, the design team understood more about the structure of music this year – things such as first themes, second themes, modulations and codas. That gave better shape to the movement, and kept images "from becoming redundant," he believes.

The Cincinnati Pops' "Make our Garden Grow," led by John Morris Russell and sung by members of the Cincinnati Opera and the May Festival Chorus, seemed to be a metaphor for all that has been accomplished in Washington Park, the heart of a revitalized Over-the-Rhine.

It's too early to tell, said Trey Devey, CSO president, given the need to first find sponsors (this year's show cost $1.2 million). Then, the orchestra must make sure there is room in the schedule.

"When we did this in the first year, this was a gift for the community, and it was our way of welcoming Louis Langrée as our music director. We didn't feel it was appropriate to ask people to pay for that experience. We wanted to introduce him and make it totally accessible," he said.

He said sponsors lined up to make it happen again this year.

"In a few weeks, we'll probably pull together and have initial conversations in what the future may hold with respect to Lumenocity. It is a major undertaking and there are myriad issues that go into making it work," he said.

So for now, people will have to settle for the afterglow of Lumenocity 2014.

The dress rehearsal for the Lumenocity show in Washington Park. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Dancers from the Cincinnati Ballet perform on the balcony of Music Hall and projected on the side during the dress rehearsal for the Lumenocity show in Washington Park. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Dancers from the Cincinnati Ballet perform on the balcony of Music Hall and projected on the side during the dress rehearsal for the Lumenocity show in Washington Park. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

Andy Kucewicz of Clifton talks with his friend Amy Collins (seen reflected in his glasses) of Clifton prior to the dress rehearsal for the Lumenocity show in Washington Park. (Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)